Burning up

[boneaddict]

There is a whole lot of good deer country burning up. 
There might be an acute lack of deer photos from me this fall.   Dang.  Sure, fire is good right.   Hard time convincing me of that as I watch my stomping grounds turn black.   Maybe in 50 years it will look similar.

[buckhorn2]

I have been watching the news that is just aweful. Over here it's not so hot and as yet no fires but a friend from here just got called over to help out he is a fireman from here hope there is a change in weather coming your way soon.

[Heredoggydoggy]

No, in a year you will hardly know it burned.  When Swakane burned a few years ago, I thought the deer would be gone.  Wrong!  There were just as many deer there as before.  Every winter there are deer here in Wenatchee eating the Arborvitae in yards.  Probably be more of them this year....

[Woodchuck]

The year we had the fires over here it was not real pretty for sure. However the animals were right back in very short order. They didn't seem to avoid the burned spots at all. Was a great year for at least spotting game. 

[Heredoggydoggy]

The year we had the fires over here it was not real pretty for sure. However the animals were right back in very short order. They didn't seem to avoid the burned spots at all. Was a great year for at least spotting game. 

True.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that all the downed snags that I rested my rifle on are gone! 

[pianoman9701]

I wouldn't want to see it in my hunting area for sure. Sorry guys.

[Woodchuck]

The year we had the fires over here it was not real pretty for sure. However the animals were right back in very short order. They didn't seem to avoid the burned spots at all. Was a great year for at least spotting game. 

True.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that all the downed snags that I rested my rifle on are gone! 

You will be amazed how quickly they get replaced. The standing dead will get blown over pretty quick. It really did amaze me how the dirt was really powdery after the fire.

[Wolfdog2314]

Been working the swakane canyon the last few nights, saw four small bucks last night. One was a decent 3x3.

[backyard bucks]

sad times. one of our friends lost their home with the libby fire last night! what he says now is it is burning across from Carlton and heading east! the french creek fire is looking like it could drop into the indian dan canyon area and paridise hill road area if winds continue.

[wsmnut]

Regarding this year's hunting seasons, if it's anything like after the Tripod fire, there will be a lot of road and campground closures to go along with the scorched earth.  A lot of us will be looking for new places to hunt for a while...

Wsmnut

[Birdguy]

When our property burned in 2000 it took several years for any trees to grow back. We would have all sorts of little trees each spring but it took a good wet couple of summers for the trees to live until fall  . The trees are now 4 to 8 feet tall and there are still burned snags falling every year, though they are almost all gone now after 14 years in a couple weeks. Our place was almost void of deer for a few years and it is still no where near it was before the burn.
   I am truly sorry for all who last homes or cabins in this fire season, we lost our cabin and it sucked I cannot imagine losing a home  . Good luck to all in the areas currently burning and while fires are a significant part of the ecosystem it will not make it any less painful and life altering for those effected  .

[wsmnut]

Check Geomac.gov for a detailed look at what has burned.  This is huge.
It will be smoldering for weeks.  Lots of road closures for a long time.

Wsmnut

[spin05]

http://vimeo.com/101148473#at=0

[Skyvalhunter]

Its going to take a longtime to grow back and many of the trees were burned beyond survival. I t was an eye opener to drive thru the valley yesterday and see all the devistation.

[no.cen.wa]

This is really hard to look at, I was born in Twisp, we moved away when I was young. My Dad had the Shell Bulk Plant in Twisp and delivered gas, stove oil, diesel to the upper valley, when the mill shut down things were tough so we moved to coast following jobs. My Grandfather (Lewis Rodepouch)had the first ranch on the right up the Loup Loup in the 1920's. My uncle(Jim Simmons) owned what is now the Tice place. I have aways hunted the Loup Loup areas and had very good luck, seems most of that is in the burn zone now. My hunting crew and I moved a few years ago, too many people hunting my old stomping grounds, I like to hunt, not race someone to the top of the ridge! I'll be going over to inlaws,in Omak in a week or two, I'll take a drive and take a look at the burn, so many memories, I'm sure it will be hard.
                  John

[bullcanyon]

I drew a tag for that neck of the woods this year.   I'll still go give it a shot and if it doesn't look good I won't be too far from good whitetail ground.  Be kinda selfish to be upset about it burning with all these families going through what they are right now. 

[OutdoorsJen]

http://vimeo.com/101148473#at=0

They posted a part two to this video.  There are some deer at the beginning.

[boneaddict]

This is really hard to look at, I was born in Twisp, we moved away when I was young. My Dad had the Shell Bulk Plant in Twisp and delivered gas, stove oil, diesel to the upper valley, when the mill shut down things were tough

Um, this sounds like my life.   And you are?

[no.cen.wa]

I'll PM you

[Hermit]

I have 120 year old trees that look like burnt matchsticks. They won't grow back in a couple years. This is much worst than the bebe bridge fire. I have 5 or 6 deer laying in some marshy ground above Brewster. Nothing to eat for miles. I'll probably bring them some hay in a week or two. I traveled 30 or 40 miles thru complete devestation. It will take the deer years to recover. Anyone that differs needs to take a look for themselves.

[boneaddict]

Seeing/hearing a lot of burned livestock.  I wonder how many animals got caught in this thing.  It did run at a feverish pace and was a wall of fire for miles.     I wonder how many burned up.   I would imagine the Methow River will be lined with animals as its banks might be the only thing that didn't burn completely.   

[Skyvalhunter]

Shall see if the WDFW does something similar to what the did up the Entiat in the 80's after the fire and opened it up to doe hunting where they were going to let 900 does be harvested only to have around 2000 taken. Will the state learn from past experiences.

[bigmacc]

Shall see if the WDFW does something similar to what the did up the Entiat in the 80's after the fire and opened it up to doe hunting where they were going to let 900 does be harvested only to have around 2000 taken. Will the state learn from past experiences.

I hope they learned.

[bobcat]

Shall see if the WDFW does something similar to what the did up the Entiat in the 80's after the fire and opened it up to doe hunting where they were going to let 900 does be harvested only to have around 2000 taken. Will the state learn from past experiences.

What is it they need to do then, in your opinion?

[Elkaholic daWg]

Shall see if the WDFW does something similar to what the did up the Entiat in the 80's after the fire and opened it up to doe hunting where they were going to let 900 does be harvested only to have around 2000 taken. Will the state learn from past experiences.

I hope they learned.

 I remember..... Show up at Game Dept office  (Wenatchee)Sunday morning, get paperwork Head up on mountain. Opener Monday morning. They planned on keeping it open thru Wednesday, but as a Chelan Co deputy was checking our deer at about 11;30 AM word came over his radio of immediate closure.

[no.cen.wa]

Just some history,
1994, Tyee fire 180,000 acres about 37 structures, started July 24th
2001, 30 Mile fire 9300 acres no structures, but 4 deaths, started July 9th
2006 Tripod fire 175,000 acres no structures, started July 4th
and of course many many more.
Having spent some time in the 30 mile and Tripod area it is interesting to see fire behavor, wind plays the biggest factor as a fire moves. It will blow up a canyon and burn every thing in it, or I have seen it blow up a canyon on one side and switch to the other side leaving the opposite side completly untouched. Sometimes go to the top of completly burned ridge to see the other side was not burned at all. Lets hope for the best, I'm sure many animals have perished, just hope for best.
     John

[Skyvalhunter]

You will find there is quite a few of us on here that are ex firefighters. A great summer job and if you choose that to be your career then many thanks to you.

[boneaddict]

 



Contrary to the picture Fitkin paints, the population of deer in the burned areas(at least the Chiliwist) are at the lowest I have ever seen anyways, so I suppose that would make this less catastrophic than it could be.   

[TwoSixFourWins]

If there were more fires more often the fuel loads could not build up as bad as they do and the fires would be less severe. Many of the large trees would survive, underbrush and dead falls would be less dense, and the pines that  require fire to open the cones would flourish. When the fuel loads build up as much as they do now the cones get scorched, the ground is sterilized and even the trees with thicker bark burn. Fire is not inherently bad for an ecosystem, in fact there are many whose species depend on it to remain healthy. The early part of the 20th century the thought process was to stamp out any fire as soon as possible which in time lead to massive fuel loads so that when a burn occurs it totally sterilizes an area rather than burning off the dead organic matter and leaving the living organic matter to thrive. There is a lot of information out on prescribed burning and how it benefits the ecosystem as a whole which means more critters to hunt.

[wsmnut]

Contrary to the picture Fitkin paints, the population of deer in the burned areas(at least the Chiliwist) are at the lowest I have ever seen anyways, so I suppose that would make this less catastrophic than it could be.

I suspect  what we will get from the wolf lover will be some GMU closures.  Starting with the Chiliwist.  Maybe some partials, Alta and Pearygin, etc.
     Now is the time for real science to be used to aid the recovery of the deer herd.

Wsmnut

[MuleDeer]

This is the time for science-based decisions, on both dealing with this year's crisis, and the long-term future of management for our Mule Deer.  A 10+ year study on Mule Deer has just been finished in WA, and now the next step is to have a Mule Deer Initiative (MDI) written for our state.  This record fire has just added to the already needed habitat improvement, and now we may need to see season adjustments due to the loss of cover and habitat. (reference the Trinity Ridge fires near Boise, ID and the following slaughter of trophy Mule Deer because a season was left open with no restrictions.)
The gentleman who will be writing the MDI for WA state is looking for any and all information that can help us manage in the long term.  I will start up a new thread where we can all submit ideas and concerns, and I'll invite him to join the forum.  But, let's keep it civil and based on science and actual observations, so he won't leave after being pummeled verbally.  If we want to bash WDFW and it's practices (as we all do at times), let's leave it for another thread.  Look forward to reading and conversing with you all on what we can do now and in the future to better manage our Mule Deer herds.

[grundy53]

This is the time for science-based decisions, on both dealing with this year's crisis, and the long-term future of management for our Mule Deer.  A 10+ year study on Mule Deer has just been finished in WA, and now the next step is to have a Mule Deer Initiative (MDI) written for our state.  This record fire has just added to the already needed habitat improvement, and now we may need to see season adjustments due to the loss of cover and habitat. (reference the Trinity Ridge fires near Boise, ID and the following slaughter of trophy Mule Deer because a season was left open with no restrictions.)
The gentleman who will be writing the MDI for WA state is looking for any and all information that can help us manage in the long term.  I will start up a new thread where we can all submit ideas and concerns, and I'll invite him to join the forum.  But, let's keep it civil and based on science and actual observations, so he won't leave after being pummeled verbally.  If we want to bash WDFW and it's practices (as we all do at times), let's leave it for another thread.  Look forward to reading and conversing with you all on what we can do now and in the future to better manage our Mule Deer herds.

I can't wait to read that study. Who conducted it? It would be great if you could get the gentleman that will be writing the MDI to join us in a discussion about this.

[MuleDeer]

I've already left him a message about joining us here, and I'll keep you all posted as to his involvement.  I'll also ask him if I can get a digital copy of the study and post it somewhere as a link.

[grundy53]

I've already left him a message about joining us here, and I'll keep you all posted as to his involvement.  I'll also ask him if I can get a digital copy of the study and post it somewhere as a link.

Sounds great  .

[teal101]

Just saw a picture of a burnt 4x5 Mulie on Facebook off of someones property.  Also a picture of what is either a Turkey or Grouse plus a lot of his cattle dead and burnt, and one living badly burnt but still alive.